stingermck

October solicits for Batman are up: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...ticle&id=33206

There is also a Huntress Mini.

And this is interesting:

And some cool art:



and some Daken/Marvel rip off art

stingermck

Anyone still here?

Cover revealed for Green Lantern #1

madcougar

This may be the most surprising reveal of the DC relaunch for sure.

Giantrobo

yeah but

madcougar

http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/07/13...pants-in-dcnu/

Apparently the only reason for the DC reboot was to get Wonder Woman back to her no-pants look!

Travis McClain

So the Batman mythology that was being largely left alone has Dick Grayson becoming Nightwing and being an adult before ever piecing together who killed his family and why. Yeah, that seems like minor tweaking.

As for that guy on the cover of Green Lantern #1, who even knows? Maybe it's one of those misleading teaser covers. Maybe it's another flashback/origin story set during the time when that guy was a member of the Corps.

SPOILER ALERT for those reading emails

Travis McClain

So the Batman mythology that was being largely left alone has Dick Grayson becoming Nightwing and being an adult before ever piecing together who killed his family and why. Yeah, that seems like minor tweaking.

As for that guy on the cover of Green Lantern #1, who even knows? Maybe it's one of those misleading teaser covers. Maybe it's another flashback/origin story set during the time when that guy was a member of the Corps.

SPOILER ALERT for those reading emails

PhantomStranger

Are spoilers really necessary at this point? The character on Green Lantern #1's cover makes sense as the featured Green Lantern, as he will be the major character in the sequel to the Green Lantern movie, if it ever gets made. This entire relaunch is about synergy between multimedia properties. WB has realized comics are a dying medium and want media-friendly versions available. Hence the move back to Barbara Gordon as Batgirl and apparently dumping WW's pants after the pilot failed.

Travis McClain

Perusing DC's website solicitations with covers now. Some of the curiosities:


Batman and Robin #1
"Battling evil with his own son, Damian, at his side, Batman now realizes that the hardest part of the job may be trying to work together!"

So the prevailing theory is that Barbara Gordon is back to being Batgirl because that's who the public thinks is behind the mask...but Damian Wayne is Robin?


Batwoman #1
"In 'Hydrology,' part 1 of 5, Batwoman faces deadly new challenges in her war against Gotham City’s underworld – and new trials in her personal life as Kate Kane.
Who or what is stealing children from the barrio, and for what vile purpose? Will Kate train her cousin, Bette Kane (a.k.a. Flamebird), as her sidekick? How will she handle unsettling revelations about her father, Colonel Jacob Kane? And why is a certain government agency suddenly taking an interest in her?"


Birds of Prey #1
"One is wanted for a murder she didn’t commit. The other is on the run because she knows too much. They are Dinah Laurel Lance and Ev Crawford – a.k.a. Black Canary and Starling – and together, as Gotham City’s covert ops team, they’re taking down the villains other heroes can’t touch. But now they’ve attracted the attention of a grizzled newspaper reporter who wants to expose them, as well as a creepy, chameleon-like strike team that’s out to kill them."

Sure sounds like BOP is starting over without having had Babs/Oracle as a member, which is just bizarre if Batgirl #1 is supposed to acknowledge all that. Also, is that Poison Ivy? I believe it is.

Justice League International #1
"With the growing presence of super beings around the world, United Nations resolves to create a new group called Justice League International.

Batman, Booster Gold, Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, August General in Iron, Fire, Ice, Vixen and Rocket Red are charged with promoting unity and trust – but can they reach that goal without killing each other first?"

That's right: Batman is in both Justice League books. And despite the synopsis, it's clearly Guy Gardner, not Hal Jordan, in this one.


Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E #1

"Frankenstein is part of a network of strange beings who work for an even stranger government organization: The Super Human Advanced Defense Executive! But can he protect the world from threats even more horrifying than himself? And since he’s vilified for who and what he is, will he even want to take on this mission?"

Because apparently what will rescue DC Comics is a comic about a Victorian literary character recast as a superspy. You know, I could almost buy this idea if they had at least brought in noted Frankenstein enthusiast Kevin Nowlan to do it. There are five other series promoted as part of "The Dark," which appears to be 90s Vertigo, but with an overt superhero bent. The most laughable is I, Vampire which is an obvious play for the Twilight crowd's attention:




All-Star Western #1

"Even when Gotham City was just a one-horse town, crime was rampant – and things only get worse when bounty hunter Jonah Hex comes to town. Can Amadeus Arkham, a pioneer in criminal psychology, enlist Hex’s special brand of justice to help the Gotham Police Department track down a vicious serial killer? Found out in this new series from HEX writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, with lush artwork by Moritat (THE SPIRIT)!"

Okay, DC...you've got my attention again. But why not call it "Jonah Hex?"

[cover shown previously in thread]
Teen Titans #1
"Tim Drake, Batman’s former sidekick, is back in action when an international organization seeks to capture, kill or co-opt super-powered teenagers.

As Red Robin, he’s going to have to team up with the mysterious and belligerent powerhouse thief known as Wonder Girl and the hyperactive speedster calling himself Kid Flash to stand any chance at all against a living, breathing weapon with roots in another world!

They – along with a few other tortured teen heroes – will be the Teen Titans in this new series from writer Scott Lobdell (WILDC.A.T.S, Uncanny X-Men) and artist Brett Booth (JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA)!"

So Dick Grayson is Nightwing without knowing who killed his parents but Damian Wayne is Robin and Tim Drake is "Batman's former sidekick." Gee, I'm glad this relaunch simplifies things. Oh, and Jason Todd is leading Red Hood and the Outlaws. What does Ace the Bathound have to do to get his own book?

Also
Deadman features in three books. He's spotlighted in the first issue of DC Universe Presents, an anthology; he's a member of Justice League Dark and according to the Hawk and Dove synposis, Dove is dating him. So if you're one of the 17 worldwide Deadman fans, September's got to look good, right?

Lastly, the 52 titles do not include titles like Batman: The Brave and the Bold or Batman Beyond. I bring this up because as recently as this weekend, Ty Templeton was sharing on his blog that he has an unpublished issue of Brave and the Bold at the offices of DC and was hopeful that the title survived the relaunch so it might one day be published. There's nothing here to indicate one way or the other, but it's not being given a new #1. My guess is that titles like that are outside the relaunch and will continue as they have been.

Travis McClain

Perusing DC's website solicitations with covers now. Some of the curiosities:


Batman and Robin #1
"Battling evil with his own son, Damian, at his side, Batman now realizes that the hardest part of the job may be trying to work together!"

So the prevailing theory is that Barbara Gordon is back to being Batgirl because that's who the public thinks is behind the mask...but Damian Wayne is Robin?


Batwoman #1
"In 'Hydrology,' part 1 of 5, Batwoman faces deadly new challenges in her war against Gotham City’s underworld – and new trials in her personal life as Kate Kane.
Who or what is stealing children from the barrio, and for what vile purpose? Will Kate train her cousin, Bette Kane (a.k.a. Flamebird), as her sidekick? How will she handle unsettling revelations about her father, Colonel Jacob Kane? And why is a certain government agency suddenly taking an interest in her?"


Birds of Prey #1
"One is wanted for a murder she didn’t commit. The other is on the run because she knows too much. They are Dinah Laurel Lance and Ev Crawford – a.k.a. Black Canary and Starling – and together, as Gotham City’s covert ops team, they’re taking down the villains other heroes can’t touch. But now they’ve attracted the attention of a grizzled newspaper reporter who wants to expose them, as well as a creepy, chameleon-like strike team that’s out to kill them."

Sure sounds like BOP is starting over without having had Babs/Oracle as a member, which is just bizarre if Batgirl #1 is supposed to acknowledge all that. Also, is that Poison Ivy? I believe it is.

Justice League International #1
"With the growing presence of super beings around the world, United Nations resolves to create a new group called Justice League International.

Batman, Booster Gold, Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, August General in Iron, Fire, Ice, Vixen and Rocket Red are charged with promoting unity and trust – but can they reach that goal without killing each other first?"

That's right: Batman is in both Justice League books. And despite the synopsis, it's clearly Guy Gardner, not Hal Jordan, in this one.


Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E #1

"Frankenstein is part of a network of strange beings who work for an even stranger government organization: The Super Human Advanced Defense Executive! But can he protect the world from threats even more horrifying than himself? And since he’s vilified for who and what he is, will he even want to take on this mission?"

Because apparently what will rescue DC Comics is a comic about a Victorian literary character recast as a superspy. You know, I could almost buy this idea if they had at least brought in noted Frankenstein enthusiast Kevin Nowlan to do it. There are five other series promoted as part of "The Dark," which appears to be 90s Vertigo, but with an overt superhero bent. The most laughable is I, Vampire which is an obvious play for the Twilight crowd's attention:




All-Star Western #1

"Even when Gotham City was just a one-horse town, crime was rampant – and things only get worse when bounty hunter Jonah Hex comes to town. Can Amadeus Arkham, a pioneer in criminal psychology, enlist Hex’s special brand of justice to help the Gotham Police Department track down a vicious serial killer? Found out in this new series from HEX writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, with lush artwork by Moritat (THE SPIRIT)!"

Okay, DC...you've got my attention again. But why not call it "Jonah Hex?"

[cover shown previously in thread]
Teen Titans #1
"Tim Drake, Batman’s former sidekick, is back in action when an international organization seeks to capture, kill or co-opt super-powered teenagers.

As Red Robin, he’s going to have to team up with the mysterious and belligerent powerhouse thief known as Wonder Girl and the hyperactive speedster calling himself Kid Flash to stand any chance at all against a living, breathing weapon with roots in another world!

They – along with a few other tortured teen heroes – will be the Teen Titans in this new series from writer Scott Lobdell (WILDC.A.T.S, Uncanny X-Men) and artist Brett Booth (JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA)!"

So Dick Grayson is Nightwing without knowing who killed his parents but Damian Wayne is Robin and Tim Drake is "Batman's former sidekick." Gee, I'm glad this relaunch simplifies things. Oh, and Jason Todd is leading Red Hood and the Outlaws. What does Ace the Bathound have to do to get his own book?

Also
Deadman features in three books. He's spotlighted in the first issue of DC Universe Presents, an anthology; he's a member of Justice League Dark and according to the Hawk and Dove synposis, Dove is dating him. So if you're one of the 17 worldwide Deadman fans, September's got to look good, right?

Lastly, the 52 titles do not include titles like Batman: The Brave and the Bold or Batman Beyond. I bring this up because as recently as this weekend, Ty Templeton was sharing on his blog that he has an unpublished issue of Brave and the Bold at the offices of DC and was hopeful that the title survived the relaunch so it might one day be published. There's nothing here to indicate one way or the other, but it's not being given a new #1. My guess is that titles like that are outside the relaunch and will continue as they have been.

stingermck

Comic Con cover:

Spoiler for size:



Spoiler for GL New Guardians line up:



Green Lantern:

davidh777

Batwoman: I can understand Betty Kane being an outdate name, but now Kathy is outdated too? I suppose there are a lot more Kates...

Jonah Hex: Perhaps they're leaving themselves an opening for other Western characters? Though offhand I can think of a lot of Marvel cowboys and no other DCs.

Poison Ivy: The costume.... leaves nothing to the imagination

Travis McClain

This Bat-continuity is just really making no sense to me. Dick Grayson is grown up as Nightwing, and only just piecing together what happened to his family. Jason Todd has already quit being Red Hood, but is going back to it to lead the Outlaws. Tim Drake is leading the Teen Titans as what appears to be Red Robin. Damian Wayne is Robin in what appears to be some kind of adult father/child son story. Kathy Kane is still Batwoman, but Barbara Gordon is going back to being Batgirl leaving Cassandra Cain out in the Bat-cold.

And then there's Batwing, the Batman of Africa. Batman starts out as an urban legend, we're told, but he's already got an international counterpart, and is a member of both Justice League and Justice League International. Plus you've got Dick, Jason and Tim out there. It seems inevitable that there stories would eventually be connected back with Batman, unless they're creating entirely new back stories independent of Batman. Possible, but Dick's costume is clearly evocative of the Batman Beyond outfit.

It all adds up to some very selective cherry-picking and the potential for all kinds of continuity contradictions from the outset. I'm interested enough I'm actually considering buying several of these issues when they go on sale, which of course is DC's intention, but my actual hopes for this panning out just keep feeling smaller.

If nothing else, that All-Star Westerns series could be the gem of the whole damn thing.

madcougar

Why would it? I mean, seriously you're basing ALL of your presumptions on a trickle of information that DC has allowed to this point. This could all end up being a clusterfuck, but I'm going to at least wait to see the final product before I decide.

Travis McClain

Um, yeah. What else should I be basing my presumptions on at this point? That's the entire point of pre-release information: to stoke speculation. I'm speculatin', and the onus is on DC to provide information that doesn't leave readers saying, "Wait, what?" every time they learn something new. Jason Todd still used to be Red Hood, which means he used to be Robin, which means that even though Superman was clearly present during "A Death in the Family" is somehow just now making his worldwide debut. I don't consider any of that trivial, and it is based entirely on what DC has officially stated. So far, my thesis that this is a convoluted mess of cherry-picked continuity seems supported.

stingermck

Superman is now the first hero, but he isnt just making his debut. Action is set in the past during his debut, and I believe JLA is 5 years ago.

madcougar

At the end of the day you're assuming a whole lot...

Where did you read that Superman was present for A Death in the Family. Havent' seen that anywhere.

Travis McClain

You might consider actually reading "A Death in the Family." Superman is in it. That's not an assumption. That's an "I saw him, he was there" objective fact.

In truth, I'm not assuming much. I'm merely trying to reconcile what DC has officially stated. They're the ones saying that in this new continuity, Superman is the world's first superhero. They're the ones stating that Jason Todd is Red Hood, and that he had walked away from that identity. Logic tells you that if he quit being it, then he was it in the first place. Maybe it's an "assumption" on my part, but it seems reasonable to me to conclude that he still became Red Hood as shown as a result of "A Death in the Family." Which brings us back to reconciling just how long ago Superman first appeared.

We've got all three original Robins in play: Dick, Jason and Tim. That means that all three have to have had time to come and go since Superman came on the scene as the world's first superhero. Otherwise, if they were out and about as Robin before Superman, then he was not, in fact, first. Again, not an assumption; basic reasoning. So if Superman hit the scene long enough for Dick to have been Robin (or at the very least, long enough ago for Jason to be Robin), then the question becomes: how big of a reset is Superman actually getting?

boredsilly

These are just comics folks. If the books are good, I'll be happy. That Frankenstein book looks dope.

Travis McClain

Believe me, I'm well aware how low this all rates in the spectrum of actual problems. I'm just saying that on the admittedly low level where comic book continuity issues exist, this is rather obnoxious.

boredsilly

Sure. Obviously we care about the relaunch in some form or fashion, else we wouldn't be in this thread. I guess I'm just more excited about thing, than not, so it's easy for me to be optimistic.

PhantomStranger

Straight from DC at their roadshow for this event, there were heroes before Superman in this new universe and Batman is one of them. Apparently he operated as the good ol' urban legend before Superman's first appearance to the public. Heroes existed before Superman, but they were working in the shadows. Also, Batman's continuity and characters are being affected the least because his books have been selling. Point blank, DC said why mess with a top-selling book. So that is why the Robins are all sticking around.

Superman is being rebooted because DC is not happy with his sales.

brayzie

I think it's still confusing. I'm excited for Morrison's Action Comics title because it actually seems like a reboot for the character.

The rest of the promotion for this line seems like, "It's a reboot. No it's not. Everything is new. But everything that happened before is still in."

And in my opinion, the extra GL and Batman titles actually hurts what they're trying to go for. New readers are not going to be buying all 10 Batman titles. So they're going to split up the readers into different camps, instead of just doing 1 or 2, really solid Batman titles.

And why is Batgirl even getting her own series? Why not reintroduce her in Batman Inc, or any of those titles and see what fan reaction is before creating a new title?

madcougar

Read them. Own the origingal Batman comics it was published in. With that said, you're assuming that this universe is brand new. It's my understanding that this universe is several years old. So Superman could well be THIS universe's first superhero who appread on the scene several years ago. During this time period, all of these guys could have come and gone as Robin. We just don't know. You're also assuming that in THIS universe Superman was there for Death in the Family. Again, we just don't know.

Me too. The great thing about America is that if you don't want to read/watch something, you don't have to. No one is forcing you to. If this new universe sucks, I have more than 30 long boxes of comics I can reread anytime I want. No one is going to make me buy these new books.

Travis McClain

Moving onto another sub-topic, it appears to me that "The Dark" assortment is essentially 90s Vertigo but meant to be more mainstream. I have the lowest faith in I, Vampire, which is clearly meant for the Twilight demographic that I suspect will ignore it. But who knows? It may prove the most successful of all 52 titles. I like the idea of "The Dark" in general.

Justice League Dark seems to me that it's probably best suited to a mini-series, or possibly a series of mini-series, rather than an ongoing title. I only say this because I think it's going to prove challenging to continue writing an ensemble series with that kind of tone. Traditionally, "darker" series do better with fewer principles who can brood over their interactions with others rather than a larger cast who conflict with one another. Still, it stands out as one of the more ambitious of the 52.

Honestly, All-Star Western is probably the one that interests me most. One of the things I dig most about it is that it's the only title set during its time period from what I can tell, meaning very little chance of crossover stories. After that, maybe DC Universe Presents just because it's an anthology series. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't likely to check out what Gail Simone does with Batgirl. That's three titles more than I check out now, so DC's already ahead of where they are now, I suppose!